


Sorting Out

by actualyarnqueen



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Light Angst, and Zen is a mother hen, day 8 of 707's route is full of pain, possibly unrequited zen/mc, up to you if you want to interpret it that way or not
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-18
Updated: 2016-12-18
Packaged: 2018-09-09 09:03:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8884960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/actualyarnqueen/pseuds/actualyarnqueen
Summary: "Meanwhile, sort out your emotions." 707's instructions to you are easier said than done. Your emotions are too complicated to sort out alone.





	

"I'm going to come in when you're sleeping, so meanwhile, sort out your emotions."Seven's voice was hard, and he didn't even look at you when he closed the door behind him. With those cold words, you were alone in the little apartment, your hands trembling uselessly in fists at your sides.

Sort out your emotions. Sort out your emotions. Right.

Some sorting jobs were too big to handle alone. Taking slow steps toward the bed, you reached for your phone. Honestly, you weren't even looking at the names when you chose one from your call history. Regardless of what Seven wanted you to believe about him, you knew there were kind hearts in the RFA. Whoever picked up, they would be there to help.

"Hello? MC? Is everything okay, did Seven do something because I swear I'll--!" Zen's voice surged with worry through the phone the moment he picked up.

"Zen?" You interrupted, voice wavering slightly. You prayed to God or Longcat that the thin veil of telephone distortion would hide it from him.

A beat of heavy silence told you that your prayer went unanswered. "Yeah?"

"Can--" You had to pause to swallow the lump in your throat. It didn't really work, but your voice was a little more solid when you continued. "Can I talk to you?"

His voice was softer when he spoke again, like he'd run out of steam. "Of course. Are you okay?"

Somehow, those three little words were enough to crack whatever semblance of calm you'd been holding together since _I don't care about your feelings_. Your knees drew in close to your chest of their own accord, and the trembling in your chest amplified into aching, shuddering sobs. Can't clean up without making a bigger mess in the process, right? You certainly made a mess of yourself. "No, I'm not. I'm not okay."

You could almost hear Zen's panic flaring back up on the other end. "Are you hurt? Did something happen? Was it the hacker again?"

"No! No, we're safe, I just... Ugh." Your free hand supported your forehead, eyes closed with an unseen embarrassment. You were supposed to be stronger than this, Seven needed you to be stronger than this. "I don't know how to help him, Zen."

"Him, you mean Seven? Did he say something to you to make you cry like this? That guy, I'll never forgive him if he hurt you!" Ever the quick temper, the concept of Seven hurting you sparked a new kind of anger in him.

"It's not his fault." You sniffled, the heel of your hand moving to wipe tears from your eyes. "He's going through so much, and he feels like he has to deal with it all by himself. I just want to help him, but every time I try to get closer to him, he just--!" Your voice catches in your throat. His words echo in your ears. The way he yelled. An inhaled breath turned into a hiccup when you cried, thank goodness no one could see you.

"You're going through a lot too, MC. You're the one who almost got kidnapped, and you're in that place with a _bomb_! It's amazing that you care so much, but shouldn't you care more about yourself?"

_Just worry about staying alive!_  
_You really have to take care of yourself._  
_Don't pay attention to me._

Poor Zen probably didn't understand why his words made you choke on a sob.

"This situation is scary, it's been really crazy and terrifying, I'm not saying it hasn't. But I've been able to get through all of it because of the people with me, especially him. He's trying to take on all the weight of this alone, and he blames himself for everything that's happened to me. I'm going through a lot, but I have support from all of you. I just want to support him too."

"You really do care about him a lot, don't you?" Zen's voice came through quietly.

"I do." You murmured, your breath finally settling back to normal. "Even more than he knows."

"Just hang in there, MC. If anyone can get through to him, I bet it'll be you. Keep doing your best, okay? He hears you, even if he's being stubborn right now." The normally energetic actor's words were gentle and sincere. They were exactly what you needed to hear.

You took a deep breath, filling your chest all the way for the first time that evening. "I will. Thank you, Zen. That helps a lot."

"Anytime. Don't hesitate to call again if you need anything, okay?"

 

* * *

 

He was supposed to be wearing headphones. He was pulling them up from his neck when he heard her voice through the door. The wall muffled most of her words beyond comprehension, he probably wouldn't have heard her at all with the headphones on. She didn't expect him to hear her.

He shouldn't have heard her. That didn't change the fact that he did.

Red hair mussed where it pressed against the wall of the hallway. He knew it was only hurting him and his progress to listen as her voice choked and she lost her words to sobs. He hadn't even touched his keyboard, but he couldn't stop listening.

The dull ache in the core of his chest was what he deserved, wasn't it? For putting her in danger, for letting her stay in this apartment in the first place. It throbbed with every beat of his heart, and he refused to shy away from it. He hurt her with what he said, this was the price he paid for that.

Staring ahead, he reached for his glasses to clean them on his tee shirt. Strange, his vision was more blurred than usual without them. Almost like he was looking through water.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this because I have a lot of feelings and I have no excuse. From the first time I experienced that scene on day 8, I just wanted the game to let me cry to someone. And Zen mother hens so hard in Seven's route, it had to be him.


End file.
